Remote-control impulsing rotator



R. H. JORDAN REMOTE-CONTROL IMPULSING ROTATOR June 29, 1954 4 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 17, 1950 INVENTOR. RIOHARDH JORDAN 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 17, 1950 INVENTOR.

R/GHARD H. amp/11v Fig.5

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 17, 1950 Fig. /2

IN V EN TOR. R/OHARD H. JORDAN June 29, 1954 R. H. JORDAN 2,682,

REMOTE-CONTROL IMPULSING ROTATOR Filed Oct. 17, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 7'0 ANTENNA &

IN VEN TOR. RICHARD H. JORDAN these index points. means may include an anchor verge which rock- Patented June 29, 1954 REMOTE-CONTROL IMPULSING ROTATOR Richard H. Jordan, Mansfield, Ohio, asslgnor to The Alliance Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application October 17, 1950, Serial No. 190,506

- Claims.

The invention relates in general to rotating devices and more particularly to rotating devices which have an indicator to indicate the desired position of a rotatable member.

An object of the invention is to provide an antenna rotator wherein a first revoluble member has a first indicator for indicating at least the desired rotational direction of an antenna shaft and a second revoluble member has a second indicator for indicating the actual position of the antenna shaft.

Another object of the invention is to provide an antenna rotator wherein first and second relatively movable members may be aligned or misaligned. First and second index points are relatively movable to indicate the desired position of the antenna and the second and a third index points. are relatively movable in accordance with relative movement of said members to indicate the actual position of the antenna. Misalignment of the first and third index points sets in motion a stepping impulse means to effect realignment of these points.

Another object of the invention is to provide an antenna rotator wherein a first revoluble member has a first indicator for indicating the desired position of an antenna shaft and a second revoluble member has a second indicator for continuously indicating the position of the antenna shaft.

, Another object of the invention is to provide an antenna rotator wherein a first revoluble member has a first indicator cooperating with indicia and wherein a revoluble escapement wheel member has a second indicator also cooperating with the indicia and which member is a part of a step-by-step impulse means which is set in motion to effect selected unidirectional rotation of the second wheel member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selector and indicator mechanism for an antenna rotator wherein two relatively revoluble members are provided with step-by-step impulse means actuated upon misalignment of index points on these members to effect realignment of The step-by-step impulse ingly cooperates with an escapement wheel to I effect such realignment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selector and indicator mechanism for an antenna rotator wherein two relatively movable members have index points which, upon misalignment,

provide an electrical connection to energize electromagnetic means effecting a timed rocking of 2 the verge to permit escapement of one of the members and thus establish realignment of these index points.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view of a control case which includes the remote control and indicating mechanism;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2--2 of Figure 1 with the ratchet and escapement wheel subassembly removed;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view of the front panel of the control case removed from the housing and with. the knob removed;

Figure 5 is a side view of the ratchet and escapement wheel assembly removed from the housing and drawn to an enlarged scale;

Figure 6 is a partial view of a first ratchet wheel member taken along the line 66 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a partial view of the front contact plate, and taken along the line 'I-l of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a partial view of the rear contact plate, and taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is a partial view of the escapement Wheel and the spring assembly thereof, taken along the line 99 of Figure 5;

Figure 10 is a sectional view of the escapement wheel assembly taken along the line iili0 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is an enlarged sectional view of the lost motion connection in the operating knob and pointer taken along the line illl of Figure 1;

Figure 12 is a sectional view of the antenna rotator mechanism; and

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the entir system.

The Figures l-ll give the details of construction of the control case which houses the selecting and indicating mechanism of the antenna rotator. A housing I5 is provided with a bottom cover [6 fastened by screws H. A front panel [8 is attached to the bottom cover [6 and carries a bearing 19 near the middle. A bearing bracket 28 is also attached to the bottom cover l6 and has a second bearing 2 l. A shaft 22 is journaled in the bearings I9 and 2| and a selector knob 23 is fixedly attached to the forward end of the shaft 22 by the set screw 24.

Fixedly attached to the shaft 22 is a ratchet support made of some insulating material, better seen in Figure 5. Fixedly attached to the ratchet support 25 as by the rivets 26 is the ratchet wheel 21. Also fixedly attached to the ratchet support 25 by rivets 26 is a front contact plate 2%. An aperture 29 in the ratchet wheel 2i! loosely receives an alignment abutment 3B of the ratchet support 25, which abutment extends toward the front of the housing 15. A lug is stamped and bent from the front panel 18 to cooperate with the abutment 3t, and hence limit the rotation of the ratchet wheel 21 to approximately 315 degrees. This 3l5-degree rotation may be seen in the Figure l. Fixedly riveted to the rear face E52 of the ratchet support 25 is a rear contact plate 33. The rear contact plate 33 carries an adjustable contact 34. A contact spring 35 has the first and second legs 36 and 37 thereof riveted to the front contact plate 23 by rivets 26. Since the ratchet support 25' is an insulator, the front and rear contact plates 2t and 33 are electrically insulated. The contact spring carries a contact 38 for coop-- oration with the adjustable contact 34. The contact spring 35 also carries a cam surface 39 at the upper end thereof The ratchet support 25 has a rearwardly extending lug iii with a groove fill therein. A metallic L bracket 42 is fixedly attached to the ratchet wheel 27! and extends rearwardly past the rear contact plate 33 and lies in the groove ll of the lug 4E3. As seen in the Figures 7 and 8 the L bracket 42 touches neither the front nor the rear contact plates 23 and 33 because of apertures therein. The rear contact plate has apertures 43 and the ratchet support 25 has spacer lugs 4'4 extending through these apertures 43.

An escapement plate 45 made of an insulating material is loosely journaled on the rear portion of the shaft Fixedly attached to this escapement plate 45, as by the rivets 26, is an escape ment wheel 45. The escapement plate 45 has a hub portion it? which carries first and second spring motors 38 and 49'. An insulating disc 78 separates the first and second spring motors 48 and it. The spring motors are in the form of flat coil springs having inner ends 50 and 5|, respectively, which are attached to the escapement plate iii by the electrically conducting bolts 52 and respectively. The coil springs of the spring motors it and 49 are wound in opposite directions. Outer ends 54 and 55 of the spring motors it and 49, respectively, are preloaded and bear against a forwardly extending insulator lug it on the escapement plate 45. The L bracket 42, as seen in Figures 1, 5 and 9, extends between the outer ends at and .35; however, it has a narrower width than the lug 5t, and hence this L bracket ift may physically and electrically contact only one at a time of the outer ends 54 and 55. The escapement plate i5 carries a forward bracket 5 of insulating material having a cam surface 58 for cooperating with the cam surface 39 of the contact spring 35. As shown in the Figures 1 and 5, these two cam surfaces abut to separate the contacts 3d and 38. Each of the cam surfaces 39 and 5a are somewhat rounded to facilitate their engagement during relative rotation. A light pipe 59 is carried by the forward bracket 51 and extends through an aperture in the escapement wheel it. An indicator lamp 60, Figure 1, is carried in a lamp socket 8| which is fastened to the bottom cover It. The rearward end 82 of the light pipe 59 extends toward the indicator lamp st and is axially aligned with the-filament of this 4 lamp. A shield 63 is carried by the shaft 22 in order to shield the front of the housing I5 from the light of the indicator lamp 950, and to prevent tangling of the electrical wiring around the bearing bracket Eli.

The front panel [8 covers the underside of an aperture {i i in the front of the housing iii. A translucent scale 65 is mounted on the front panel it. This translucent scale as is marked off in a total of 36 positions over an arc of about 315 degrees. This is shown in Figure 4, wherein the knob it has been removed to better show the construction details. A pointer B55 is journaled on the bearing It. A pointer washer '67 is disposed between the pointer st and the scale 65. A spring washer E8 is disposed between the pointer 66 and a retaining ring (-39 which engages a groove 10 in the shaft Since the spring washer presses the pointer against the pointer washer 6'1, which in turning is frictionally engaging the scale 65, the pointer fit does not readily turn. The knob has a groove 19 therein to receive the pointer as shown in Figure 11. The width of the groove "it is greater than the width of the pointer 6E to give a lost motion connection relative to the knob 23 of about 8 to 10 degrees.

An insulating bracket H is carried by the front panel It and this bracket carries a ratchet contact spring a front contact plate spring i3 and a rear contact plate spring M. The ratchet contact spring l2 has a hump 75 to engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 27. The front panel 18 also lies a series of 36 holes 16 (Figure 3) disposed opposite the path of the forward end 1! of the light pipe 59. The front and rear contact plate springs it and M are adapted to electrically contact the circular periphery of the front and rear contact plates 28 and 33, respectively.

An anchor verge Si is pivoted at 82 about a verge support 83 carried by the front panel I8. A verge spring 84 urges the verge in a clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 3, so that a first pallet engages the teeth of the escapement wheel 46. second pallet 85 is carried by the verge 8| to alternatively engage the teeth of the escapement wheel 16. A bumper 81 limits the clockwise movement of the verge 8!. A solenoid 68 is supported from the front panel 18 and has an arm 89- pivotally linked to the verge 8| so that upon energization of the solenoid 88 the arm 89 is retracted to rock the verge 85 against the urging of the spring t l. A transformer 90 is mounted on the upper side of the bottom cover i6. A synchronizing switch is positioned to be actuated to a closed position by the rocking of the verge St.

The Figure 12 shows the actual antenna rotator a sembly $33, which is fixedly attached to any able support. The rotator 93 carries an electr motor at, which, through a gear train 95, drives a revoluble hollow shaft 95. The gear includes a worm 9'! and a worm Wheel 98. The hollow shaft at is adapted to receive an antenna shaft, not shown, for rotation thereof re ve to the rotator 93. A cam 99 is driven from the gear train 95 and cooperates with a cam follower The cam follower Hill is carried by a first contact spring llll, and this contact spring well as a second contact spring I02 are carried by the insulating block I03 to form an impulse switch Hi l. The cam 99 has a gear ratio relative to the hollow shaft 95 of approximately 36:1, such that the switch HM opens and closes 36 times for one revolution of this hollow shaft 96. An cverrunning mechanical stop N35 is provided to rotation of the hollow shaft 96 to about 360 degrees. The cam 99 is adjusted so that the switch I94 is open at both rotational limits.

The Figure 13 shows a combined simplified isometric view and schematic wiring diagram for the rotator and indicator, and the transformer 99 is shown as having a primary I96 and a secondary I91. The primary I96 is adapted to be energized from an alternating current source I98 through the contacts 98 and 34. The secondary I91 has a. low voltage terminal I99 and first and second end terminals I I9 and III. The second end terminal I I I is grounded, and the indicator lamp 69 is connected between the terminals I99 and III. The first end terminal I I9 is connected by a lead I I2 to the metallic L bracket 42. This L bracket 42 is adapted to make physical and electrical contact with one, but not both, of the outer ends 54 and 55 of the spring motors 48 and 49. The spring motors 48 and 49 are insulated from each other, and the coil springs therein carry electrical current to flexible leads H3 and H4 which connect to terminals A and B on a terminal strip I I5. A condenser H6 for the motor 94 is connected across the terminals A'and B. The terminal strip I I5 also has terminals C and D with the terminal C being grounded and the terminal D being connected through the solenoid 88 to the first end terminal N9 of the secondary I91. The circuit diagram of Figure 13 also shows the wiring connections for the rotator assembly 93 wherein the terminals A and B are connected to first and secondrunning windings I I1 and H8 of the capacitor induction motor 94. The terminal C is connected to the common juncture II9 of the other ends of these running windings. The contact springs I9I and I92 are connected in series released by axial motion of the motor rotor resulting from magnetic forces trying to bring the rotor into magnetic alignment with the stator. This friction brake prevents coasting of the motor 94 and prevents any possibility that there would be an extra actuation by the cam 99 of the switch I94.

The synchronizing switch 9I is shown diagrammatically in Figure 13 and is also shown in Figure 3. This synchronizing switch is connected in parallel with the primary switchcontacts 34 and 38. Amanual switch 92 (shown diagrammatically in Figure 13) is also provided across the terminals 0 and D of the terminal strip I I5.

In operation the pointer 66 indicates the desired position of the antenna carried by the hollow shaft 99, and the forward end I1 of the light pipe 59 indicates the actual position of this antenna. As seen in Figures 1 and 5, the cam surface 58 is engaging the cam surface 39 to open the contacts 34 and 38. These contacts arein the primary circuit of the transformer 99, and hence this transformer is de-energized. This occurs when the pointer 96 is aligned with the light pipe 59. If now the pointer 69 is turned to another position by means of the knob 23, the cam surface 39 will drop off the cam surface 58 thus closing the contacts 38 and 34 and energizing the transformer 99. The secondary I9! is thus energized to light the indicator lamp 69. Light is transmitted through the light pipe 59 and through one of the series of holes IE to shine through the translucent scale 65 and will momentarily indicate, by this spot of light, the former position of the pointer 66 and indicate the present position of the antenna shaft 96. Since the transformer secondary I91 is energized, a potential will be available at the metallic L bracket 42 by means of the lead II2, the ratchet contact spring 12 and the ratchet wheel 21. This L, bracket 42 will be in electrical and physical contact with only one of the outer ends 54 and 55 of the spring motors. As best seen in Figure 9, movement of the L bracket 42 in a counterclockwise direction, for example, will cause it to bear against the outer end 54 to wind the coil spring in the spring motor 43. Since both spring motors are freely journaled relative to the shaft 22, and have the inner ends thereof fast to escapement plate 45, this winding of the spring motor 48 will tend to rotate the escapement plate 45 in a counterclockwise direction but rotation thereof is prevented by the pallet 85 engaging a tooth of the escapement wheel 49. Thus, as is seen in the rear view of Figure 3, the escapement wheel 46 will attempt to rotate in a clockwise direction. Since the l. bracket 42 is electrically contacting the outer end 54 of the spring motor 48, and the inner end 59 thereof is connected by the flexible lead II3 to the terminal A on the terminal strip II5, the motor 94 and also the hollow shaft 96 will rotate in a proper direction corresponding to the counterclockwise rotation of the knob 23. The motor 94 runs, since the running winding II'I obtains an alternating current voltage and the running winding I I9 obtains a phase displaced alternating current voltage through the condenser I IIi.

As the motor 94 rotates the gear train 95, the cam 99 actuates the contact spring I9I to open and close the circuit to the solenoid 98. i As the solenoid 99 is energized intermittently it rocks the verge 8| against the urging of the spring 84 to thus release the escapement wheel 45 a tooth at a time. This action may be considered as a step-by-step impulse means which permits realignment of the light pipe 59 with the pointer 66. The making and breaking of the switch I94 and the timed rocking of the vergeSI continues until this realignment of the light pipe 59 and pointer 96 is established, whereupon the cam surface 58 opens the contacts 38 and 34 to de-energize the transformer 99. As the light pipe 59 moves, a circle or spot of light will be seen on the translucent scale 65 through the holes '19, and this spot of light moves step-by-step to become realigned with the pointer 69, whereupon the light goes out.

Since the escapement wheel 49 was going in a clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 3, the inside edge of the pallet 85 will be against the tooth positioned counterclockwise of this pallet. If new the knob 23 is turned only one notch in the opposite direction, as determined by the ratchet hump l5 cooperating with the ratchet wheel 27, then the electrical circuit to the transformer 99 will not be closed. This is because of the space between the teeth of the escapement wheel. Turning the knob 23 in the opposite direction turns the shaft 22 and the ratchet support 25. The ratchet wheel 27 and the front and rear contact plates 28 and 33 also turn through this same arc. This arcuate movement will be about 9 degrees. The l. bracket 42 will turn the spring motors 49 and 49 and the escapement wheel 46 about 6 degrees, or the arcuate distance between the teeth on the escapement wheel 46. The hump of the ratchet contact spring I2 will-thus essentially look into a 7 trough between the teeth on the ratchet. wheel 2'1, and this relative movement of about 3 degrees between the front contact plate 28 and the escapement wheel 4% will be insufficient to permit contact between the contacts 38 and 34. It will thus be seen that movement of the knob 23 only one notch in a direction opposite to the previous movement will merely take up the. lost motion between the teeth of the escapement wheel 46 and will not result in any rotation of the hollow shaft 96. Since there is lost motion between the teeth of the escapement wheel 45, the pointer 66 has likewise been provided with a lost motion relative to the knob 23 so as not to give an erroneous indication of the position of the antenna. The lost motion between the pointer 66 and the knob 23 has been made about 9 degrees, and hence turning of the knob 23 by one notch oppositely to its former direction of rotation will not move the pointer 66. further, then the pallet 85 of the verge 8| prevents rotation of the escapement wheel 46, and hence the primary its of the transformer 99 is energized through the contacts 38 and 3%. This will energize the motor M to drive the cam 99 and energize the solenoid 88 to rock the verge 8| and permit escapement of the escapernent wheel 46. This escapement of only one tooth on the escapement wheel 45 will again bring the light pipe 59 and the pointer into alignment and the transformer 96 will become ole-energized.

The escapement wheel 46 could be made with V-shaped teeth, like the ratchet wheel 21', thus eliminating the lost motion of the pallet 8E5 relative to the teeth of this wheel 45. This would also eliminate the need for the lost motion connection between the pointer E6 and the knob 23. However, the V-shaped teeth on such an escapement wheel would require a considerably stronger verge spring in order to hold the escapement wheel against rotation. This is because the V-shaped teeth would have a camming action which would attempt to cam the pallet of the verge out of engagement with the teeth. A stronger verge spring would need a correspondingly stronger solenoid 8E5 in order to pull against the verge spring,

It will be noted that the cam 99 actuates the switch its thirty-six times for one complete revolution of the antenna shaft, and that the escapenient wheel it and the ratchet wheel 21 each have teeth. This is to permit 360 degrees rotation of the hollow shaft 95 with a rotation of the pointer 68 of only about 315 degrees. The 315- degree rotation provides 36 active teeth on both the wheels 2'5 and 46. This is purely for ease of manufacture and it will be obvious that any other ration of relative rotation may be effected by appropriate design.

The synchronizing switch 9| is provided as a precaution to maintain synchronism between the antenna shaft 95 and the light pipe 59. When the cam 99 is rotating, the switch I94 is alternately opened and closed. When this switch I94 is closed the solenoid 83 is energized to rock the verge 5!. If at this instant the selector knob 23 were rotated in the opposite direction a suificient distance the primary switch 34-38 would open and close. This would give an added impulse to the solenoid iii? if the syncrhonizing switch 9! were not provided. This extra impulse could cause an extra rocking of the verge. which would permit an extra tooth to escape on the escapernent wheel Thus, the escapement wheel 46 and light pipe 59 would be ahead of the actual position of the antenna shaft 96. The syncrho- If the knob 23 is turned one notch nizing switch ti makes certain that the transformer 99 will always remain energized as long as the switch I04 is closed, thus eliminating these additional impulses.

The manual switch 92 is provided as a means for manually reestablishing the synchronism of the antenna shaft 96 and light pipe 59 if they should ever get out of synchronism. This might occur if the electrical power from the alternating current source I08 should momentarily be interrupted during the time that the switch I04 is closed. It can be determined that the unit is out oi synchronism by rotating the selector knob 23 alternately to both of the rotational limits. Since the motor 94 has a physical stop I05 permitting approximately 360 degrees rotation, the alignment of the escapement wheel 46 with the antenna shaft 96 can be determined. If at either of the two rotational limits the antenna shaft 96 should reach its physical stop before the escapement wheel 46 has rotated sufficiently to open the primary switch 34-48, then the spot of lig t coming from the light pipe 59 will not be extinguished but will remain at one of the scale divisions removed from the end position on the scale 65. This is an indication that the unit is out of synchronism. The manual switch 92 may then be actuated intermittently to intermittentby way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is z.

l. in a reversible electrical drive means for rotating an antenna shaft relative to a fixed support, the provision of energization means for said electrical drive means, a first ratchet wheel having a first indicator moved. in accordance with the movement of said ratchet wheel to indicate the desired position of said antenna shaft, a detent retarding the movement of said first ratchet wheel, indicia, a second escapement wheel having a second indicator moved in accordance with the movement of said second escapement wheel and cooperating with said indicia to indicate the position of said antenna shaft, first and second springs acting between said wheels and urging same into alignment of said indicators, switch means having as double throw contacts said first and second springs and actuated in accordance with the relative rotation of said wheels, connection means for connecting said switch means to said energization means and to said reversible electrical drive means for selecting the rotational direction of said antenna shaft, a second switch intermittent- 1y actuated by saidelectrical drive means, and electro-magnetic means connected to be energized from said energization means through said second switch for effecting a partial rotation of said second escape nent wheel upon energization of said electromagnetic means.

2. In a reversible electrical drive means for rotating an antenna shaft relative to a fixed support, the provision of energization means for said electrical drive means, indicia, a first ratchet wheel having a first indicator moved in accord- 9 ance with the movement of said ratchet wheel and cooperating with said indicia to indicate the desired position of said antenna shaft, a detent retarding the movement of said first ratchet wheel, a second escapement wheel having a second indicator moved in accordance with the movement of said second wheel and cooperating with said indicia to indicate the position of said antenna shaft, first and second springs acting between said wheels and urging same into alignment of said indicators, double throw switch means acting through said springs and actuated in accordance with the relative rotation of said wheels, connection means for connecting said switch means to said energization means and to said reversible electrical drive means for selecting the rotational direction of said antenna shaft, and step-by-step impulse means actuated upon rotation of said drive means for effecting relative rotation of said first and second wheels to re-establish coincidence of said indicators.

3. In an electrically controllable drive means for rotating an antenna shaft relative to a fixed support, the provision of energization means for said electrical drive means, a first revoluble indicator to indicate the desired position of said antenna shaft, an escapement wheel member having radial teeth, a second indicator moved in accordance with the movement of said escapement wheel member to indicate the actual position of said antenna shaft, means urging said indicators into alignment, single pole switch means actuated in accordance with the relative movement of said indicators, said switch means being in an open position when the position of said first and second indicators coincide and being in a closed position when said first and secnd indicators are misaligned, connection means for connecting said switch means to said energization means and to said drivemeans for effecting the rotation of said antenna shaft, an anchor verge cooperating with the radial teeth of said escapement wheel member to lock same in position until rocking of said verge, a spring urging said verge into engagement with said escapement wheel member, a single solenoid connected to said verge to release said escapement wheel member by one tooth upon energization of said solenoid, second switch means connecting said solenoid to said energization means, and means for actuating said second switch by movement of said drive means.

4. In an electrically controllable drive means for rotating an antenna shaft relative to a fixed support, the provision of energization means for said electrical drive means, a scale, a first ratchet wheel member, a first indicator moved in accordance with the movement of said first ratchet wheel member and cooperating with said scale to indicate the desired position of said antenna shaft, a detent retarding the movement of said first ratchet wheel member, a second escapement wheel member, a second indicator moved in accordance with the movement of said second escapement wheel member and cooperating with said scale to indicate the actual position of said antenna shaft, first and second springs acting between said wheel members and urging same into alignment of said indicators, single pole switch means acting through said springs and. actuated in accordance with the relative movement of said wheel members, said switch means being in an open position when the position of said first and second indicators coincide and being in a closed position when said first and second indicators are misaligned, connection means for connecting said switch means to said energization means and to said electrically controllable drive means for efifecting the rotation of said antenna shaft, an anchor verge cooperating with said second escapement wheel member to control the movement thereof, a spring urging said verge into engagement with said second escapement wheel member, a solenoid connected to said verge to release said second escapement wheel member by one tooth upon energization of said solenoid, second switch means connecting said solenoid to said energization means, and means for actuating said second switch means by movement of one of said verge means and said drive means.

5. In a reversible electrical drive means for rotating an antenna shaft relative to a fixed support, the provision of energization means for said electrical drive means, a scale, a ratchet wheel member having a first index point, a first indicator moved in accordance with the movement of said ratchet wheel member and cooperating with said scale to indicate the desired position of said antenna shaft, a detent retarding the movement of said ratchet wheel member, an escapement wheel member with radial teeth and having a second index point, a second indicator moved in accordance with the movement of said escapement wheel member and cooperating with said scale to indicate the actual position of said antenna shaft, spring means acting between said wheel members and urging same into alignment of said index points, single pole double throw switch means actuated in accordance with the relative movement of said wheel members, said switch means being in a neutral position when the osition of said first and second index points coincide and being in one or the other of said two contact positions when said first and second index points are misaligned, connection means for connecting the two contacts of said switch means to said energization means and to said reversible electrical drive means for selecting the rotational direction of said antenna shaft, an anchor verge cooperating with said escapement wheel member to positively lock same against rotation in either direction until said verge is rocked, a spring urging said verge into engagement with said escapement wheel member, a single solenoid connected to said verge to rock same to release said escapement wheel member by one tooth upon energization of said solenoid, second switch means connecting said solenoid to said energization means, and means for actuating said second switch means by movement of said drive means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nichols Nov. 20, 1951 

